tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Sun Dec 15 15:14:27 1996
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Re: Dr Okrand Speaks -- ben
- From: "eric d. zay" <[email protected]>
- Subject: Re: Dr Okrand Speaks -- ben
- Date: Sun, 15 Dec 1996 18:18:21 -0500
Kenneth TraftVaD
Given the phrasing of the
sentence in PK *cha' vatlh ben HIq* I always assumed that the safest way to
use this in indicating ones own age would be something like *wa'maH Soch
loD jIH*, * I am a 27 year old man.*, or more literally, *I am a 27 year
ago man.* But I like your way better. *cha'maH Soch ben jIbogh.* Thanks.
SuSvaj
----------
> From: Kenneth Traft <[email protected]>
> To: Multiple recipients of list <[email protected]>
> Subject: Dr Okrand Speaks -- ben
> Date: Sunday, December 15, 1996 3:15 PM
>
> >On the Klingon Language Institutes Klingon mailing list there has been
> >quite a bit of discussion on how to say one's age.
>
> >In "Power Klingon" you referred to Two Century Old Wine as <<cha'
> >vatlh DIS ben HIq>>.
>
> >By saying 200 years ago wine, can we imply that ben may be used
> >in the same sense of "years ago" and then translate that into <<loSmaH
> >ben jIH>> I am 40 years old.
>
> >I apologize for taking so long to get back to you on
> >this. But, anyway, here are my (grammatical, not
> >philosophical) thoughts on age.
>
>
> *******Reply from Dr. Okrand **********
>
>
> The word ben can be used to mean "years old," but in
> Klingon, one doesn't say "I am x years old."
>
> The phrase loSmaH ben jIH (loSmaH "40," ben "years ago," jIH "I"), if
> anything, would mean "40-year-old me" or the like. It would parallel
cha'
> vatlh ben HIq "Two Century Old Wine" (cha' "two," vatlh "hundred," ben
"years
> ago," HIq "wine, liquor"). (Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't
> think the word DIS "year" is in that phrase on "Power Klingon.")
>
> "I am 40 years old" would be expressed as:
>
> loSmaH ben jIboghpu'
>
> This is "I was born 40 years ago" (loSmaH "40," ben "years
> ago," jI- "I," bogh "be born," -pu' "perfective"). As is
> normal in Klingon sentences, the time element (in this
> case, loSmaH ben "40 years ago") comes first.
>
> Hope this helps.
>
>
>
>
>